Posted!

Join the Conversation

Comments

Welcome to our new and improved comments, which are for subscribers only.
This is a test to see whether we can improve the experience for you.
You do not need a Facebook profile to participate.

You will need to register before adding a comment.
Typed comments will be lost if you are not logged in.

Please be polite.
It's OK to disagree with someone's ideas, but personal attacks, insults, threats, hate speech, advocating violence and other violations can result in a ban.
If you see comments in violation of our community guidelines, please report them.

5 charged with sexual battery return to West Lauderdale school

Five West Lauderdale High School students charged with the sexual battery of a classmate are back in school, The Meridian Star reported.

Lauderdale County Schools Superintendent Randy Hodges said a judge released the teenagers to the custody of their parents at a hearing Tuesday. The teens returned to campus Wednesday.

Hodges said the district is in the process of gathering facts and will be handling the situation on a case by case basis.

“We are monitoring the situation very closely with the staff and administration at West Lauderdale,” Hodges said. “The bottom line – we are certainly not above the law, and as a school district we will follow the law to the utmost, but at the same time we are going to try to protect the safety of all the students and we will do that within the legal bounds.”

Hodges confirmed that one of the students charged is a baseball player at West Lauderdale. Hodges said the administration will make a decision on whether he will be allowed to play in Friday night’s game against Colombia, once all the legal facts on that individual have been released.

Hodges said some parents have voiced their concern.

Since all parties involved are juveniles and their case is in youth court Hodges said he can’t release any more specifics in the case.

Lauderdale County Chief Deputy Ward Calhoun said some of the students were arrested at West Lauderdale High and others were arrested at home on April 13.

Calhoun said all five students face sexual battery charges and their cases will be handled by the Lauderdale County Youth Court. Calhoun said that in every case, as the investigation continues, additional charges could be filed.

If convicted, the accused can't be sentenced to more than five years in prison or a fine that exceeds $5,000, according to the Mississippi Coalition Against Sexual Assault, because they are all under 21 years old.

The incident occurred off campus on a weekend in March and was not related to a school event, according to Calhoun.